SOUTHPORT computer users will be speeding along the information superhighway as our town now has the fastest internet connection in the country.

Virgin Media’s ultrafast 100Mb broadband service goes on sale for the first time in Southport and is nearly twenty times the national average connection.

The 100Mb service allows users to download an entire music album in as little as five seconds; a TV show in around 30 seconds, a high quality movie in as little in 90 seconds and a high definition movie in seven minutes.

However Virgin Media research has shown the service will truly come into its own when more than one person is online at home at the same time, using connected TVs, computers, games consoles or mobile smartphones.

Southport is one of the first towns to receive this service along with residents of Pentwyn, Treforest, Cheshunt and Hatfield also gaining access to the service.

The town’s MP John Pugh said: “It’s great news that Southport has been chosen as one of the first places to receive high speed broadband.

“The Government has made a firm commitment to roll out superfast broadband across the whole of the country, as it is essential for growth and crucial to the economic re-balancing of the country that all places have access to efficient and reliable internet.”

“We already have the fibre optic cable from the USA landing at Kew so the advice to everyone in business in Southport must be to ride the digital wave.

“A high tech community with Edwardian charm is not only a sound economic proposition but a real glimpse of what the future can deliver,” he continued.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media said the resort would be “blown away” by what 100Mb can deliver and the very real impact this can have on day to day life.

“The launch of our 100Mb service in Southport is a significant milestone in the UK’s broadband evolution and a vivid illustration of the power of our next generation network.”

The new 100Mb package comes with a custom built, energy efficient, combined modem and wireless ‘N’ router4, which has the potential to deliver speeds of up to 400Mb as new services roll-out in the future.

A family will be able to get the new ultrafast service for £35 a month when bought in a bundle, or £45 per month when bought as a sole product.